Henry bitter and edmund h



H. 'RITTER- an E. H. .LUNKEN. LUBRIGATOR (No Model.)

Patented Oct. 10, 1893.

NITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BITTER AND EDMUND I-I. LUNKEN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TOTHE LUNKENHEIMER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LU BRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,442, dated October10, 1893. Application filed March 3] 1893. Serial No. 468,530. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY BITTER and EDMUND H. LUNKEN, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton andState of Ohio, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Graphite Lubricators, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specificat- 1011.

Our invention relates to apparatus for automatically supplying, to steamcylinders or pipes, finely pulverized graphite as a lubrican't, and ithas for its object the carrying out of such process with simple andnovel mechanism.

The novelty of our invention will be hereinafter set forth, andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1, is a central sectional elevationof our graphite lubricator. Fig. 2 is a broken view of the same partlyin section and looking in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 1. Fig. 3,is a sectional detail plan view of the feed valve and feed passage. Fig.4, is acorresponding view with a different form of valve.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts inall the figures.

The tendency of the present time among boiler and engine builders istoward very high pressures of steam, and oils for lubricating theengines under such high pressures will not answer because they becomevolatilized immediately upon entering the cylinder and so lose theirefliciency as a lubricant. Powdered graphite, however, is not efiectedby these high pressures and answers perfectly as a substitute for theoils. Graphite, while long known as a lubricant for journals andoccasionally placed in steam cylinders after removing the head, hasnever been fed antomatically to the cylinders while the engine wasrunning and it is the latter purpose that our present inventionaccomplishes.

We provide a steam tight cup or vessel A with a conical or taperingbottom having through it, at its lowest part, a discharge opening a. Theupper end of the cup is provided with a filling plug b, a threaded pipeopening 0 extending into a horizontalchamber d, and a central stem ewhich is passed through a stuffing box f, the chamber d, and

has a threaded portionengaging the diaphragm under the chamber d. Thestem 6 extends down into the cup directly over the opening a and ishollow from the chamberd with which it communicates by an opening g. Thelower end of the stem e is beveled or tapering so that when screwed downit completely cuts off communication between the opening a and cup A,and the upper end of the stem is provided with any suitable handle h.Secured to the lower end of the cup, or integral therewith if desired,isasight feed chamber B of any suitable construction in this instancehaving two opposing circular threaded openings into which are screwedrings 1' in which glass disks j are packed and secured, as seen in Fig2.A discharge tube C is secured in the lower end of the opening aand,'extending down into the chamber B, has its lower end bent to bringthe discharge opening close to the inner side of one of the glasses jabove its middle. The lower end of the sight feed chamber terminates ina shank D with a discharge passage is through it which is preferablytriangular in cross section, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. Inthe shank D is a valve or cockE for regulating the discharge of thegraphite from the sight feed chamber. In Fig. 1, this valve is shown asa straight way or gate valve constructed in accordance with E. H.Lunkens patentof April 4., 1893, while in Fig. 4, it is shown as anordinary turning plug-cock and here the discharge opening just above theplug is diamond shaped in cross section as shown by the dotted lines.The lubricator thus constructed has its shank D suitably connected tothe steam chest, or a pipe leading to the steam chest, and has a secondpipe, not shown, extending from the steam pipe which leads from theboiler to the steam chest and connected with the opening 0. A

valve, not shown, is applied to this second pipe for cutting ofi steamfrom the lubricator when it is desired to fill the cup A through theopening of the plug b.

The operation is as follows: The valve E being slightly opened and thestem e slightly IOO raised, the current of steam and water of condensation passes from the pipe communicating with the opening 0 throughsaid opening and chamber d and down through the hollow stem e andcarries with it, at the end of the stem 6, the particles of graphitecol-, lected around said stem, whichlattcrarecan ried down through theopening a and nozzle 0 and are discharged into the sight feed chamberwhere the graphite is plainlylvisible as it leaves the mouth of thenozzle 0. It then passes on through the sight feed chamber and openingof the valve E into the passage 70 and is carried into the-steam chestto dothe Work of lubrication. By raising and lowering the stem 6 andregulating the valve ...E, the desired rate of feed can be adjusted ,toanicety. Should the tubeO and opening eat, any time become clogged withgraphite, itis only necessary to screw down the stem e to its seat atthe mouth of the opening aland then open -the valveE whereuponfiull'steam pressure will be appliedthrough the stem e which will atonce clear the opening a and tube 0. Upon reclosing the valve E the'feedcan then again be regulated. 'Byhaving the discharge opening kangularin.cross section with the angle next to the opening side of thevalve,the size.of the discharge opening can be regulated to a nicety,and where a plugcock is used-as in-FigA, whichcan be turned in eitherdirection, thisangle is formed on both sides, asshown by the dottedlines.

By the above construction and modetof operation the graphite is fed into,thezsteam chest mixed with the water of condensation so that itproperly acts as a lubricant 'to all partsiof the cylinder and steamchest.

The discharge through valve E can be so minutely regulated that thesight feed cham- 4o berwill remain filledwith water from condensation,which occurs when the discharge below the sight feed glass is not inexcess of the rate of condensation above same. In this case the graphitecan be, plainly seen descending automatically; according tothe regulatedof a'steamttight receptacle for the graphite having a discharge openingat its lower end,

a valve for closing and regulating said opening with relation to.theflreceptacle a sight feed chamber below said receptacle with whichsaid openingcommunicatcsby means of.,a nozzle havi-nga lateraldischargemsteam passage extending .into saidhopening a valve below saidsight .feed lchamber and steam connections with said .qlubri-cator,substantiallyas described.

2. The herein described lubricatorconsisting of the cup A withopening cand chamber d at its upper end and opening a ,atitslower end, the =sight.feed chaniberB belowlopening a with tube .0 therein, the .screwistemetextending throughthe culpuA and hollow from thechamber d. toopeningta, the valveE below the sight feed chamber, and dischargepassage 70, substantially as described.

HENRY RITTER.

EDMUND H. LUNKEN. Witnesses:

OWEN N. KINNEY, BERNARDJ. HAUSFELD.

